The present invention relates to a receptacle used between right and left seats adjacent to each other in vehicles such as automobiles and trains, ships, airplanes, or in theaters, hotels, etc.
There is a conventional receptacle having a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-338496.
The receptacle comprises a box body, and a lid body which is capable of being opened and closed from both right-hand and left-hand sides of the box body. Thus, persons who sit on adjacent seats can take articles in and out from both right-hand and left-hand sides of the box body.
The box body is provided with bank-like portions extending right and left at front and rear portions of the box body. Right and left side portions of a lid body are interposed between the front and rear bank-like portions in a state that the lid body is closed. The right and left side portions of the lid body are individually attached with a hinge member. The hinge member is urged by means of a spring so that it is projected into front and rear directions from the front and rear end portions of the lid body.
The right and left sides of the lid body are provided with a pair of right and left operating buttons which are actuated independently from each other. Right and left hinge member are respectively connected with right and left operating buttons. These hinge members are projected into and retracted from the front and rear end portions of the lid body by actuating the operating buttons.
Right and left hinge members are projected into the bank-like portions, and are fitted into a bearing hole formed in each of right and left bank-like portions. In a state that the right and left hinge members are individually fitted into the bearing hole formed in each of right and left bank-like portions, the lid body is kept at a state of being closed (closed position).
In such a state, when one (right) operating button is pushed against an urging force of spring, one hinge member comes off from the bearing hole and is retracted into the interior of the lid body. Namely, an engagement of one hinge member with the bearing hole is released. At this time, since the other (left) hinge member is fitted into the bearing hole, the lid body is pivoted so as to be rotatable on the axis of the other hinge member. Therefore, the lid body is opened from one side by moving one side portion of the lid body to an opening direction while pushing one operating button.
In order to close the lid body, one side of the lid body is pressed into the box body side against the urging force of spring. Whereby one hinge member is again fitted into the bearing hole, and the lid body is kept at a state of being closed.
In the aforesaid state, when the other (left) operating button is pushed against the urging force of spring, the other hinge member comes off from the bearing hole and is retracted into the interior of the lid body. Namely, an engagement of one hinge member with the bearing hole is released. At this time, since the one (right) hinge member is fitted into the bearing hole, the lid body is pivoted so as to be rotatable on the axis of the one hinge member. Therefore, the lid body is opened from the other side by moving the other side portion of the lid body to an opening direction while pushing one operating button.
In order to close the lid body, the other side of the lid body is pressed into the box body side against the urging force of spring. Whereby the other hinge member is again fitted into the bearing hole, and the lid body is kept at a state of being closed.
Namely, not only the lid body can be kept at a state of being closed, but also the lid body can be opened from both right-hand and left-hand sides as the need arises.
Also, there is a stopper connecting a receptacle with a lid body (see disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-24657 and 60-42869). By making advantage of the stopper, the lid body can be kept at a state of being opened.
With the aforesaid construction, however, in the case where the lid body is in the state of being opened, the lid body on the opened side is in a state that its front and rear end portions are exposed. The free end portions of hinge member are projected from the exposed front and rear end portions of the lid body; for this reason, there is a problem that a person who sits on a seat catches his cloth on the free end portions of the hinge member.
Moreover, when viewing the conventional receptacle from the top, there is divided portions defined between the front and rear bank-like portions and the front and rear end portions of the lid body. Thus, in order to provide a receptacle having a preferable appearance, the lid body and the box body must be assembled so that the divisional line on the divided portions becomes parallel. For this reason, there has arisen a problem that the assembling work is very troublesome, and many man powers are required.
The aforesaid divisional line is a gap defined between the bank-like portions and the lid body. For this reason, there is a possibility that articles are caught in the gap.
The aforesaid stopper is provided in the receptacle to keep a state that the lid body is opened. The stopper has a structure in which its one side portion is a shaft; the other side portion is slidable. For this reason, there is a problem that articles are caught in a slidable portion.